Wendy Davis rebuffs Abbott criticism over clients

AUSTIN — State Sen. Wendy Davis said Tuesday she has released the names of all the public-sector legal clients from whom she has received income, rebuffing criticism over her work by Attorney General Greg Abbott in their race for governor.

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Davis's campaign last week released to the San Antonio Express-News a list of the public-sector clients she has represented in the firm she has with Gov. Rick Perry's former chief of staff, Brian Newby.

But Davis didn't release clients handled by Newby, and her campaign said she will not release her private-sector clients because they deserve the privacy of attorney-client privilege.

In her 2012 race for re-election, her Republican opponent slammed her over tollway-related votes in the Senate. Davis represented the North Texas Tollway Authority, although her campaign said her votes on the issue came before she performed any billable hours for the authority. The issue has come up again in the race for governor.

Abbott's campaign has called on her to release the contracts of all the firm's clients, with spokesman Matt Hirsch saying she should do so if she “truly has nothing to hide.”

On Tuesday, Davis had a conference call with reporters to keep up her criticism of Abbott over the issue of equal-pay legislation. She sponsored such legislation last year, and it was vetoed by Gov. Rick Perry. She has repeatedly called on Abbott to say if he'd also veto such a measure.

On the phone call, Davis was asked about her clients — and about the issue of Tarrant County Hospital District, operating John Peter Smith Hospital. The hospital district wasn't on the client list she released, but documents obtained by the Express-News/Chronicle show it paid the Newby Davis firm more than $67,000 between 2012 and this past February.

The documents also included 2010 emails planning a meeting among herself, Newby and the chairman of the board of managers of JPS Health Network, which includes John Peter Smith Hospital. Davis and Newby opened their firm in 2010.

“When Brian and I started our firm, we had a number of meetings with prospective clients, some of whom we received work from, some of whom we didn't,” Davis said Tuesday.

“I have released all of the public clients that I represent and from whom I derive income, and I've done that not because the law required me to do so but because I think it's the right thing to do,” she said.